ICE Leader: Agents Prohibited From Enforcing Two Most Fundamental Sections of U.S. Immigration Law

Katie Pavlich

2/6/2013 7:43:00 AM - Katie Pavlich

Yesterday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council 118 of the American Federation of Government Employees President Chris Crane testified that immigration reform isn't about reform at all, but instead is about politics.

"Death or serious injury to ICE officers and agents appears more acceptable to ICE, DHS, and Administration leadership, than the public complaints that would be lodged by special interest groups representing illegal aliens," Crane said.

Crane detailed the massive problems within the agency with enforcement, how illegal aliens lie to work the system, how illegal aliens will lie in order to be granted amnesty and explained how morale within the agency is at an all time low.

"The results from the most recent morale survey for Federal agents were released in December 2012. ICE Dropped in the rankings to 279 out of 291 Federal agencies surveyed leaving only 12 agencies that ranked lower in employee morale and job satisfaction than ICE," Crane said. "While ICE employees are frequently demonized by special interest groups and media outlets, it should be known that many ICE employees are themselves the sons and daughters of immigrants of grandsons and granddaughters of immigrants; or are married to immigrants, or are the proud parents of adopted babies born outside the U.S. For many of our officers, English was not their first language, or they grew up in a bilingual household.....ICE agents are not monsters as some would portray them."

Crane also explained the erosion of the rule of law thanks to special interest groups representing and advocating on behalf of illegal immigrants while agents are often punished for simply enforcing the law. Crane even went so far as to suggest law enforcement has been turned into a joke.

"For the last four years it has been a roller coaster for ICE officers with regard to who they can or cannot arrest, and which federal laws they will be permitted to enforce," Crane said. "Most Americans would be surprised to know that immigration agents are regularly prohibited from enforcing the two most fundamental sections of the Unites States immigration law. According to ICE policy, in most cases immigration agents can no longer arrest persons solely for entering the United States illegally. Additionally, in most cases immigration agents cannot arrest persons solely because they have entered the United State s with a visa and then overstayed that visa and failed to return to their country."

UPATE: "My confidence level with the administration right now is zero that we're going to be able to do out jobs now or in the future."